Mad Monkey Nacpan Beach

I really wanted to like this Mad Monkey as I’ve stayed in others before, but I would personally recommend coming here for a drink during the day but staying somewhere better in town. It is FAR from the main town - a 40ish minute scooter ride or $16 tuk tuk. The reviews mention that it’s outside town, but I didn’t realize quite how far. Don’t stay here if you don’t have a scooter. There’s no AC and the dorms are really hot. They have fans, but they don’t turn on the main generator until midnight, so they are pretty useless before then. I thought the food at the restaurant was overpriced for what you get, but you’re also trapped because you’re so far away from everything else and there’s not many other options on the beach. If you want to do the boat tour through the hostel, it’s also more expensive since they pick you up there and you don’t have to go into town (and they only run it if enough people sign up.) Like all Mad Monkeys there is a strong party vibe that they push here, and I overheard one of the reps say that the beds “are practically built so people can have sex in them” and that did happen in my dorm when I was staying here. Definitely not a place if you want to sleep well. The benefit is that you get to wake up on an absolutely stunning and quiet beach. If your goal in El Nido is to chill on the same beach and get drunk every night and not do any excursions (nothing wrong with that,) then this would be a good fit. It’s truly a beautiful beach, but you can enjoy the beach while staying at a cheaper place in town that you can actually sleep at and puts you closer to everything else happening in El Nido.

Did not expect Mad Monkeys Nacpan to be this good. I literally didn’t leave the place for 3 days because everything I needed was right there. The beach is right in front, the vibe is chill, and the whole place feels like a private little slice of paradise. Also, the bathrooms and beds are massive. Easily the biggest I’ve seen in any hostel. Special mention to Shanel. She genuinely made the stay better. Super warm, super helpful, and just one of those people who make the whole place feel alive. Another thing I appreciated: they run a bi-weekly charity where everyone helps with a beach cleanup, and the funds go into upgrading local kids’ schools. Simple idea, but it actually makes a difference, and it feels good to be part of it. Overall, I’d come back without thinking twice. If you’re in Nacpan, stay here. You’ll get it.

Mathilda is a great host! I travel solo and since I got to the hostal she welcomed me with her beautiful smile and helped me with my carry on. She made sure I was included in all the activities and even spent time chatting with me talking about meaningful things. Thanks to her I didn’t feel excluded. She made my stay more comfortable. Mathilda has such a good vibe and energy that makes everything feel so natural.

I would stay here forever if I could! Everything about this hostel is amazing the staff, the location and the nightlife! We absolutely loved staying here and going to miss it so much we extended our stay! Fernanda we will miss you and everyone else so much! thank you for making our trip so amazing xxxx

Really bad hostel experience and one of the head volunteers from England should be fired immediately. Everything from the coffee, food, juices/shakes, and cocktails were really bad quality and high prices. The food in the restaurant was atrocious. We ordered Pina coladas and they served them to us without pineapple juice thinking we wouldn't know. Then they didn't even offer to fix the situation and comp are drinks since they messed up. The dorm rooms are dirty and hot and if you're on a bottom bunk then the top bunk is not sealed and all kind of crap, sand and particles can fall on you from your bunk mate sleeping above you. Only reedeming thing about this hostel is the location and very nice beach but that's it! No customer service, low quality food/drinks, bad attitudes from volunteers and staff is not okay in hospitality environment.

Great for socializing, beautiful beach, not so good for scooter/motorcycle renters. It's a 10 to 15 minute walk to the parking lot. 30 minutes to the main town. Every excursions i booked through this hostel was canceled. They do not notify you when they are canceled. So you have to make the trek back and forth every time only to find out you didn't have to. Weather and unforseen circumstances are one thing, not notifying guest and wasting their time is another. I refuse to believe that they are incapable of notifying guests of cancelations until the moment of, every time. After multiple cancelations, the amount of time wasted showing up to excursions that would never happen was significant. All I got was one free beer in return. I guess that's what all my time wasted is worth to them. Also the rooms get really hot and the roosters next door start around crowing at 5am every morning so have a fan and headphones ready.

Best traveling experience in the Philippines. Awesome people, breathtaking views, unforgettable moments. The boat tours were fantastic and the vibes at the hostel even better! Special mention to Isabella who’s probably the best hostel volunteer (and location shots seller) that I’ve ever met at a Mad Monkey. Would 10000% stay again

Amazing location. Sadly it wasn’t crowded at all when I want there but im sure if its full Booked the plage would be different in high season. Its hard to get there if you have your own motorcycle or scooter, really narrow trails as there is no main road to access the hostel. I strongly recommend getting there by the beach, as shown in my video, its legal to ride as fast as you can in this beach! Go get it tiger